


Repairing Bonds

by treya_barton



Series: The Surprise Trip [4]
Category: Persona 4
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-02-26 00:56:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18713215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/treya_barton/pseuds/treya_barton
Summary: Livefree and I had a discussion awhile back about Yu's parents, and I came up with an idea about Yosuke helping Yu reforge a bond with his parents.  I eventually decided I would write it for her birthday.  This is a bit early, but since it's going to be multichapter I thought it would be fine to go ahead and start posting :)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [livefree_13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/livefree_13/gifts).



> I am setting this in The Surprise Trip universe but have changed Yu's occupation from social work to law to align more closely with Livefree's headcanon for what occupation Yu would have. I just wanted to clarify that so I didn't confuse anyone :)

Yosuke was walking down the street to the home he and his husband had been living in for less than a month, deep in a text conversation with Chie that honestly was more like an argument which was pretty standard between the two of them.  He wasn’t really paying attention to his surroundings since the neighborhood they had picked out was a bit of a distance from Tokyo and very quiet with most of their neighbors already long retired.  Yosuke was pretty sure he and Yu were the youngest people in the neighborhood, and all of their neighbors tended to dote on them like they were their own children, bringing them produce from their little gardens and checking on them from time to time to see how they were doing.  They seemed delighted to have a younger couple in the neighborhood and appreciated Yosuke returning the favor by helping them with some house or yard work that was more difficult for them to do at their age, while Yu would bake treats to share with everyone.  The most Yosuke expected to see on the street was a neighbor on a bike on the way to get groceries or walking their dog since hardly anyone ever drove around.

It was a much longer commute to work than before, but Yosuke didn’t mind since he could listen to music or podcasts on the train and appreciated how much more space they had in their new home compared to their tiny apartment they were in before.  It was almost like being in Inaba again, and he knew Yu especially seemed more relaxed here.  Some days Yosuke did feel a little antsy since there wasn’t much to do, but he always knew he could stay longer after work or take a trip on the weekend to Tokyo in order to get his appetite for excitement sated.  He still worked much earlier than Yu did at the radio station, which often left his afternoons free if he didn’t have plans for anything at home.  Yu was working on setting up his own practice in the town their neighborhood was located in, but he still had a few cases and loose ends to tie up at the practice he had been working at since getting his law degree so it was a slow transition.  He often ended up staying overnight in Tokyo, crashing at a coworker’s place since the commute on top of his long hours would leave him very little time for rest.  Today was finally his last day at his old practice and his last time having to make the long commute, which is why they were finally planning their long overdue housewarming party that weekend.  And why Yosuke and Chie were currently having an argument over whether or not their friends would be allowed to bring housewarming gifts.  Yosuke was of the opinion he and Yu had everything they needed already, while Chie was arguing she and Yukiko had already picked them out something and they shouldn’t deny their friends the joy of surprising them with a gift.

Yosuke huffed and slid his phone into his pocket, before waving at the gentleman who lived on the edge of their street and was always out in the yard working on his impressive flower garden.  Mr. Okada waved back before getting back to work, with his straw sun hat and dirt covered gloves that Yosuke couldn’t remember ever seeing him without.  Yosuke then slid his hands into his jacket pockets and began whistling as he took in the narrow street with the yards surrounded by short walls partially obscuring quaint houses and gardens, while letting his mind wander.  Yosuke wouldn’t be able to switch to a radio job in the town they lived in, but he didn’t mind the commute and had much more regular hours than his husband.  He also loved his job and the different things it allowed him to do such as travel and go to music festivals.  Yu, meanwhile, would be much happier in his small practice helping out the residents in town.  While he would, especially at first as he worked on getting established, have to do all of the work himself, work that would be less interesting than the cases he worked on in the city, it would also be more manageable, and he would be able to set his own hours and pace.  Yosuke was looking forward to getting to spend more time with his husband and for Yu to get to enjoy his home and neighborhood more.  It’s why he was planning on surprising him tonight when he got home.

His thoughts were interrupted as he noticed his next door neighbor Mrs. Inohara waving him over.  Yosuke walked over dutifully and gave a small bow of greeting.  “I wanted to give these to you two as thanks for those wonderful cookies Yu-kun made for us,” she said, handing him a basket filled with mikan from her tree.  She had been supplying them with mikan periodically since they moved in and the small oranges were a delicious treat, especially as it was growing colder the closer they got to winter.  Yosuke thanked her and accepted the gift, asking after her husband who had been sick with a cold, and expressing relief to find out he was feeling better.  She waved at him as he turned to head into his own house, and he gave a friendly wave back, appreciating the tiny, cheerful woman who reminded him a lot of his own mother.  Yosuke’s mouth watered as he contemplated snacking on one of the sweet fruits, but he knew he had to get started on dinner first.  As he opened the door, he found Hana waiting for him with a welcoming meow before she proceeded to weave between his legs and lead the way into the kitchen.  Yosuke grinned, knowing she was hungry, and set down the basket before going to pour out some dry food for her. 

While he got started on dinner, he began thinking about how much Mrs. Inohara really was like his own mother, always looking out for the two of them and wanting to make sure they were alright.  He talked on the phone with his mom several times a week, and she would demand to also talk to Yu when he was home as well.  It made him think of Yu’s mom and how Yosuke wasn’t sure if he had really talked to her since their wedding around a year ago now.  Yosuke bit his lip as he chopped up the vegetables, an idea slowly forming in his head.  It honestly bothered him how distant Yu was from his parents, and Yosuke could tell by the look he’d get in his eyes sometimes when seeing Yosuke with his family that it made him feel a little left out even though the Hanamura’s had been treating Yu like a member of the family long before they had confessed their feelings to each other.  Yu also had Dojima and Nanako, but Yosuke knew there was a part of him that wished to have that connection with his parents too.  Yu had mentioned a few childhood stories here and there that Yosuke could tell he looked back on fondly, but most of the time he avoided talking about his parents entirely.

Yosuke snuck Hana a small piece of beef as he worked on the stew that would be one of the side dishes of the meal.  He also had clear broth soup going since he wasn’t fond of the tofu in miso, along with pickles he had made that morning.  The center dish would be tempura shrimp and vegetables, but he would be frying them up right before he knew Yu would be coming home so they’d be fresh and not soggy.  As he worked, Yosuke pondered whether or not he should recommend inviting Yu’s parents to the party that weekend, wondering if it would be invasive or upset him.  He couldn’t help but keep thinking back to Yu’s expression though, and he felt a nugget of resolve forming in his chest.  ‘I’m going to do it,’ he decided.  He would allow Yu to enjoy his dinner and bask in the glow of his last day of work at the old job for a bit, but definitely bring it up before bed.  He knew Yu sometimes needed a little time to think over a decision like that and wanted to make sure he had a few days still to consider asking his parents.  If he sprung it on Yu too late the answer would definitely be no.

Thus, about an hour later, when Yu walked in with his slightly worn, but still well cared for leather briefcase Dojima had given him when he joined the firm, he was greeted by Hana and the smell of dinner which Yosuke was just setting out on that table.  Yu took off his shoes and scooped up their cat to scratch her ears before wandering into the dining room to investigate, smiling and exchanging a welcome home kiss with Yosuke as he saw the spread he was setting out on the table.  It both looked and smelled amazing, and Yosuke had even dressed up a little in a button up shirt and vest and one of his nicer pair of jeans, causing Yu’s heart to skip a beat upon seeing him.  It was nice that they still knew how to bring that spark of excitement back into the relationship now and then.

“This looks amazing, Yosuke,” Yu said, letting Hana hop down to the ground before gracefully taking his seat that Yosuke had pulled out for him.

“I wanted us to celebrate your last day at work and the start of your new firm,” Yosuke replied before sitting across from him.  He picked up his glass of sake, before adding, “To the success of Narukami Attorney at Law,” Yosuke smiled, and Yu blushed before raising his own glass in return.  They both took a sip before Yosuke grinned again while resting his head on his hand.  “I can’t wait to have you all to myself again,” he said, and Yu chuckled.

“You already have me all to yourself,” he pointed out, and Yosuke pouted.

“Not when you had to sleep in the city.  I was so lonely,” he said dramatically.

“I was too,” Yu replied honestly, and Yosuke looked pleased at his reply.

“Well, now that will all be in the past,” Yosuke said.  He then waited eagerly for Yu to take his first bite of food, watching as he first took a sip of soup before making his way around the rest of the plate and trying everything one by one.  His stoic face showed no hint of how he liked it, and it was honestly driving Yosuke nuts.  Yu had perfected his poker face over the years to where even Yosuke had trouble reading it sometimes.  After taking a bite of shrimp, Yu looked at Yosuke thoughtfully for a few moments before finally cracking a grin.

“This is really good,” he said, taking another bite.  “You’ve gotten really good at cooking.  I should have you do it more often.”

Yosuke looked horrified at the idea.  “And miss out on my husband’s delicious food?  I don’t think so,” he argued, causing Yu to chuckle.

“You can indulge me sometimes, can’t you?” he asked, giving Yosuke his oddly stoic pouting face, where his expression was perfectly smooth except for the slight widening of his eyes and tilt of his eyebrows to make them look perfectly pitiful.

Yosuke let out a long sigh before replying, “You know I couldn’t deny you, partner,” before giving Yu an exasperated yet fond smile.

Yu looked pleased at his reply, and for the rest of their meal Yosuke asked Yu about his last day at work and how much work he had left to do on his new office he was setting up.  It was a nice change of pace for Yu to be driving the talk with Yosuke able to listen, and he couldn’t help but feel really good about his husband’s future, knowing he would do well as a lawyer in their town.  He knew the locals would just adore him and felt Yu would be able to do more good for the residents in the smaller town, just like he used to back in Inaba.  Once they finished dinner, Yosuke shooed Yu off to the bathroom to shower and change into something more comfortable for the evening, while he knocked out the dishes.  They then made their way to the couch to relax, Hana jumping up to rest on Yu’s lap as she liked to, although she would occasionally go to Yosuke instead much to both of their surprise.  Yosuke was fine with being Hana’s second favorite, since he had gotten her as a gift for Yu knowing how much he adored cats, but it was nice being the one picked on the rare occasion.

It was now that Yosuke decided to bring up what was on his mind.  “So, Yu,” he started, and he saw Yu subtly tense out of the corner of his eye, while a wary, yet confused expression crossed his face.  When Yosuke used that tone of voice, Yu never knew what to expect.  It often meant Yosuke had gotten into some small bit of trouble which is why he probably tensed, although the confusion was definitely because he couldn’t think of what could have happened since Yosuke had only been at work before coming home to cook dinner.  Yosuke felt a little guilty over what he was about to say, but he still thought it was for the best.  “I was thinking about our guest list for the house warming party,” he said, voice more casual.  Yu immediately relaxed once he realized what the topic was.

“Oh, did we miss someone?” he asked, fingers gently rubbing under Hana’s chin, causing her to purr in contentment.

“Two people, actually,” Yosuke replied, drumming his fingers on his leg nervously.

Yu tilted his head at him, waiting silently for Yosuke to continue.  “Two rather important people.  They…were at our wedding,” he added.

Yu seemed to finally catch on.  “You mean my parents,” he said, face clearly showing surprise.  It was obvious he hadn’t even considered it.  “They’re…probably busy,” he started.

“Still, it can’t hurt to ask, don’t you think?” Yosuke replied.  “You won’t know unless you do.”

Yu seemed surprised over Yosuke’s insistence on the matter and was quiet for several minutes as he mulled it over.  Yosuke began to feel nervous over the can of worms he had opened, but he resolutely kept his mouth shut, knowing that Yu needed time to process.  He still felt like bringing it up was the right thing to do.  Finally, after the silence had gone on for long enough, Yosuke gently added, “You don’t have to make a decision tonight, partner. There’s still plenty of time to think over it.”  He placed a hand on Yu’s leg and gently squeezed, and Yu placed his free hand over it to show his appreciation.  Hana seemed annoyed by the sudden lack of attention and hopped off his lap, causing Yosuke to inwardly chuckle at her disgruntlement.

“I’ll consider it,” Yu promised, giving Yosuke’s hand a squeeze back before standing up.  “I think for tonight it’s about time to get some sleep though.”

Yosuke nodded, and stood up with a stretch.  He knew that Yu saying he’d consider it was a good sign and that all he could do now was wait.  He didn’t bring it up over the next two days, but knew by the expression that would crop up on his husband’s face occasionally that he was thinking about it again.  Instead, he had taken the next few days off of work to help Yu as he finished getting his office set up, a small office in a larger building in town that had several other businesses set up in it too.  Yu had made it feel very warm and inviting with its large wooden bookshelf and pictures of his friends and family throughout the room.  He had picked out comfortable leather chairs and was set up to provide tea and snacks to his potential clients as well.  There even was enough space so if down the line he did make enough to afford someone to work for him he could set up a desk for them as well.  Yosuke knew that Yu would be happy there, and it was close enough to their home that during lunch he’d be able to go home to eat and spend a little time with Hana too.  That Friday afternoon while they were in the middle of putting the finishing touches on the room, Yu finally confessed something that put Yosuke’s heart at ease.

“This morning, before you were up, I called my parents,” he said quietly, almost causing Yosuke to drop the very heavy book of law he had just picked up to set on the bookshelf.  He managed to hold on as it began to slip out of his fingers though, and he was rather proud of his recovery.

“Oh?  How did that go?” he asked, trying to keep his voice casual but failing miserably.

He caught Yu’s grin out of the corner of his eye and winced, feeling his ego deflate slightly.  Yu pretended not to notice.  “It went…well,” he replied.  “They said they would try to make it.”  Yu sounded surprised, but he also had a hint of caution in his tone like he didn’t want to get his hopes up.  Yosuke, meanwhile, was overjoyed at the news.  Somehow he just _knew_ they would be there.  He didn’t want to stress Yu out, however, so he reined that in.

“That’s great news.  I hope they’ll be able to make it,” he said instead, watching Yu carefully as he said it.

Yu was looking down at the book in his own hand, and he suddenly looked young and insecure, so unlike the confident leader that Yosuke was used to.  He had seen him like this before, back when Dojima and Nanako had been in the hospital and he had finally let his façade slip.  “I…think I hope so too,” he quietly admitted, and Yosuke immediately set down his book before taking his husband into his arms.  Yu allowed his book to slip from his fingers and land on the ground next to them with a dull thud, before clinging to Yosuke and burying his head in his shoulder.

“They’re going to come,” Yosuke said reassuringly, before running his hand along Yu’s back in a soothing, circular motion.  After a few moments the tension finally began to ease from his shoulders.

“I think they might,” Yu replied.  “They came to the wedding.  My mother…she sounded surprised I was inviting her,” Yu admitted.  “But also excited.  I heard my father ask in the background who she was talking to and when she explained he also sounded surprised.  But happy.” 

Yu had an awed tone of voice as he spoke, as if he couldn’t believe it.  Yosuke had remembered their interaction with Yu during the wedding and how happy they had seemed to see their son.  He somehow wasn’t surprised.  It seemed like the Narukami family just needed a little push in the right direction, and he was glad his instincts seemed to be proving to be right.  “We’ll have to make sure they also see your office,” Yosuke said proudly.  One of the pictures on display was of Yu with his parents, his uncle, and Nanako during the wedding, and he knew Yu’s parents would probably appreciate that.

“Yeah…I think they’d like that,” Yu said, pulling away and looking around with a slightly dazed expression on his face.  Yosuke waited for his eyes to land on him, smiling slightly when they seemed to come into focus upon seeing his husband.  Yu smiled, before leaning forward to press a kiss against his cheek.  “Thank you,” he said softly, and Yosuke feigned confusion.

“For what?” he asked, before leaning forward to kiss Yu before he could properly reply.  He made sure to make it a long and slow kiss, with just a touch of heat to take Yu’s mind off the conversation.  It seemed to work, because when he pulled away, they were both slightly gasping for air, and Yu seemed willing to let the discussion drop.

“I think we’ve worked long enough,” he said, picking up the book and setting it on the bookshelf.  He stepped back and looked around, taking the office in.  “I think I’m ready for Monday.”

“I know you are,” Yosuke smiled, before slinging his arm over his shoulder.  “I think you should treat your poor husband to dinner after working him so hard all day,” he said with a wink, and Yu laughed before leading them out the door.  Yosuke was generally the one who treated, and he knew that Yu enjoyed it when he got to do so for a change.  Tomorrow they would be getting everything set up for their housewarming party and Yosuke found himself starting to get nervously hopeful for the event on Sunday; he really hoped when Yu’s parents came, everything would go smoothly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 is set around the housewarming party where Yu and Yosuke anxiously wait to see if Yu's parents will arrive. I'm posting it a bit early, but I wanted to wish Livefree a Happy Birthday since it is tomorrow! I'm sorry not all chapters are posted before your birthday, but hopefully you will continue to enjoy each installment as it's being written ^^

Two days later, Yu and Yosuke were both nervous as their guests began to arrive.  Yosuke was still confident he was right, but he couldn’t rest until Yu’s parents actually showed up.  And he could tell that each time the door rang Yu was looking hopefully for them.  When Nanako and Dojima finally arrived, Yosuke ushered Yu over to them and said, “Hey, partner, why don’t you entertain our guests.  I’ll take care of the rest from here.”

Yu tried to protest, but Nanako and Dojima correctly read the atmosphere and asked Yu to give him a tour of the home, effectively pulling him away.  Yosuke had called Dojima the night before just to see if he knew about Yu’s parents coming to visit and if he also thought they were likely to come, and Dojima had explained his sister was excited at the prospect of coming and would definitely be there.  All morning Yu and Yosuke had been preparing the food for their friends, different snacks that would be easy for people to eat as they arrived.  Yosuke had begrudgingly put out a gift table once he realized that his friends had indeed all brought gifts that was now overflowing.  Yosuke shook his head as he passed by it before going to check on his parents who were in the living room eating and chatting with the Inoharas who Yu and Yosuke had also invited.  They seemed to be getting along great and his parents were enjoying the stories the Inoharas were sharing about having Yu and Yosuke as neighbors.

“I’m so glad you’ve been helping out the Inohara’s,” his mother said as he walked up, a bright smile on her face.  “I always knew you were such a sweet boy.”

“I just wish you had been more helpful back when you were at home,” his dad joked, and Yosuke winced.  He had been a little lazy at home although he had done a lot at the store which he knew his dad appreciated.

“He’s a fine young man,” Mrs. Inohara smiled.  “And this is a lovely party.  Thank you for inviting us.”

“Thank you for bringing dessert,” Yosuke replied.  “I can’t wait to try a piece of your cheesecake!”  She had brought a very springy cheesecake that looked like it would be incredibly light and fluffy.

“Oh, that was you?  It looks delicious!” Mrs. Hanamura replied.  “You’ll have to share your recipe!”

Yosuke left them to their devices and headed out to their small backyard which had some chairs set out for the guests.  Rise had loaned them so they would have enough seating for all the guests they were expecting.  It’s where he found the Investigation Team along with a few other high school friends like Kou, Daisuke, and Ai who had all shown up.  “Dude, your house is amazing,” Daisuke complemented while Kou handed Yosuke a chilled bottle of water; they had drinks set up in coolers outside.  Yosuke took it gratefully, for he hadn’t even realized how thirsty he was from running around.

“We’re pretty happy with it,” he said.  “You guys all getting plenty to eat?  Having fun?” he asked.

“Yeah, sempai, we’re all having a good time.  Why don’t you take a break for a moment?” Rise suggested.  Everyone had been catching on to the fact that both Yu and Yosuke seemed a little stressed and were bewildered as to why.  Just then, Yosuke heard a knock at the door and he took a quick swig of water before shaking his head.

“I’m trying to get Yu to do that right now so I gotta keep running the show.  Thanks though,” he said with a grin before heading back inside.  He made a beeline for the door, noting that Yu and the Dojimas had now joined in the living room with the others, and Yu had barely been restrained from getting up by Nanako who had carefully drawn him into a conversation.  She gave Yosuke a little thumbs up who gave her a nod of thanks in return.

He then headed to the door, heart pounding in anticipation since he had a good idea on who it had to be at this point; all of the other guests had arrived.  Sure enough, he opened the door to reveal Yu’s parents, both smartly dressed.  Yu’s father was definitely where he got his gray eyes and hair from while his features took after his mother.  “Thank you so much for inviting us,” Yu’s mother said, and they both gave a small bow, causing Yosuke to respectfully quickly drop into a lower bow.

“Thank you so much for coming.  Yu will be happy to see you,” he said, taking the housewarming gift from Yu’s father.  It was expertly giftwrapped and looked like it had probably come from a high end store.  He looked at it curiously before waving them in, ushering them to the living room where Yu looked truly surprised to see them.  While Yosuke and Dojima had been confident his parents would arrive, Yu still seemed to be under the impression they would end up being too busy, and Yosuke could tell all weekend he had been trying his best not to get his hopes up.

He was even more surprised when his mother gave him a hug, before going to also hug Nanako and her younger brother.  His father patted him on the shoulder before asking him to show him around the house, looking interested in the fact it was more traditional and sturdily built due to its age, and Yosuke couldn’t help but finally feel relief as he watched Yu begin to show his parents around.  He then turned to the gift table, and his face blanched once he realized there wasn’t a place to set down the Narukami’s gift.  Fortunately, Chie had come in to grab some more food and noticed his predicament.  “And you told us not to bring anything,” she said smugly as she made some space on the table so Yosuke could set down the gift.

“I said we didn’t need anything,” Yosuke said with a sigh.

“You know, I was wondering what had you both all worked up this afternoon, but I just saw Yu showing his parents around and I suddenly get it,” Chie said.  “The wedding was the first time I think I’ve ever seen them.”

“It was almost the first time for me too.  I had dinner with them once after our engagement so I could meet them.  It was incredibly nerve-wracking,” Yosuke admitted.  “Fortunately, they seemed to like me and didn’t seem to have any reservations about the wedding.”

“Well, it’s good for Yu that they showed up,” Chie replied.  “Now that they’re here though, you should probably relax.  The whole point of this get together is so you can show off your house, not wear yourself out.”

“Thanks, Chie,” Yosuke said with a relieved smile, and Chie shook her head before piling her plate with more meat skewers.  Yosuke rolled his eyes while she stuck her tongue out at him and headed back outside.  Since his parents seemed content to speak with the Dojimas and the Inoharas, Yosuke went to go check on Yu and his parents to see how they were doing.  They had just wrapped up the tour outside and Yosuke stepped out and watched as Yu reintroduced his parents to his friends.  Yosuke watched as Yu fed them a tidbit of information about each person that he had obviously shared with them after his return to Tokyo from Inaba that clued them in on who they were.  It was nice seeing Yu get to show his parents around, and Yosuke couldn’t help but silently watch them for a few moments with a gentle expression on his face.

Yu finally seemed to notice him standing there, however, and he waved before bringing his parents over.  “I told them it was your idea to invite them over,” Yu explained, and Yosuke blushed as Yu’s parents both looked at him with pleased expressions.

“Thank you Yosuke-san, that was very thoughtful of you,” Mrs. Narukami replied.  “I knew it was a good idea when my son told me he was marrying you.”

“You both picked out a fine home,” his father added.  “This is a very nice neighborhood.”

“Our neighbors are very lovely.  Did Yu introduce you to the Inohara’s yet?” Yosuke asked, and when they shook their heads he brought them back inside so he could introduce them and re-acquaint them with his own parents.  Mrs. Hanamura seemed delighted to see her, and soon she had her deep in a conversation with Mrs. Inohara, while Mr. Narukami joined in with Mr. Hanamura and Dojima who had at this point become good friends.

Yosuke glanced over at Yu whose eyes kept moving between both of his parents, and he squeezed his shoulder before placing a comforting kiss on his cheek.  “I’m going to start slicing the cheesecake.  Why don’t you check on Hana?” he asked, for they had locked her up in their bedroom, not wanting her to be out in the house with the doors constantly opening and closing.  She got along with most of their guests but they figured so many people being around would be a little overwhelming.  Yu nodded and wandered off, and Yosuke felt relief for he knew Yu would be able to relax a little with their cat.

He then went back to hosting, cutting the cheesecake and passing it out to everyone, and complimenting Mrs. Inohara on how delicious it was.  He made his rounds throughout the guests, asking them how they were enjoying themselves and thanking them for coming and for their gifts. About halfway through him making his rounds, Yu rejoined him and snaked his arm around his waist before clinging to him.  Yosuke knew that he was probably feeling a little overwhelmed and had no problem being his rock for the rest of the party.

All too soon it was time to wrap up, and slowly their guests began to disperse, until the only ones that remained were the Hanamura’s and the Narukami’s.  Most of their friends had gone straight to the train station to take the train back to Inaba, including Teddie, Yu’s uncle, and Nanako, but the Hanamura’s had elected to stay overnight so they could have breakfast with them and see Yu’s new law office in the morning; Yu and Yosuke had a guest bedroom just for that purpose.  Yosuke was considering inviting the Narukami’s to come as well in the morning if they had time since they weren’t as far in the city, and he was pleasantly surprised when Yu beat him to it.

“I start in my own office tomorrow,” he said.  “The Hanamura’s are going to be there in the morning for the grand opening.  You’re welcome to come as well if you have time.”

His parents exchanged a glance, and they seemed to be silently communicating something to each other before his mom nodded and turned to answer.  “We would love to.  At this point in our careers taking a morning off to support our son won’t be hard to manage,” she replied.  “Thank you for inviting us.”

The Hanamura’s looked excited at having them join the next day and soon afterward the Narukami’s exchanged farewells, promising to be by in the morning early enough so they could all leave to Yu’s office together.  Yosuke unfortunately would miss it due to using up his days to help get the office set up, but he knew with his parents there too Yu would be in good hands.  In fact, Yosuke’s parents shooed Yu and Yosuke off from cleaning up, explaining that since they spent the time getting the house ready for guests and cooking for them, they would help clean up.  Instead, Yu and Yosuke slowly opened their gifts, noting which gift was from which person so they could write thank you cards later.  Yosuke kept glancing at Yu, trying to gauge his mood, and finally the gray haired man seemed to notice and quirked an eyebrow at him.

“How are you feeling?” Yosuke asked, and Yu considered his words for a moment.

“I’m not quite sure.  My parents being here – agreeing to come tomorrow.  It’s pretty surreal,” he admitted.  He then turned back to look at Yosuke, an almost guilty expression on his face.  “I know what you did for me today.  You must be exhausted,” he said, an apology on the tip of his tongue that he held in check when Yosuke gave him a pointed look.

“That’s what partners – husbands – do,” Yosuke lightly chided.  “You looked happy, showing them off to our friends and bringing them around the house.  That in itself was worth it to me.”

Yu stared at him for several moments, eyes thoroughly examining the face he adored so much, before he leaned in for a kiss, letting Yosuke know through action how much he appreciated it.  Yosuke accepted the gesture, setting down the gift he had been holding so he could wrap a hand around Yu’s neck instead while Yu clung to him, only pulling away when they both needed to breathe.  Yu was flushed, then looked up and appeared even more flustered.  Yosuke turned his head and winced when he noticed his parents had obviously been watching their display of affection.  Yosuke groaned while his mother giggled.  “Do any places deliver here?” Mr. Hanamura asked, pretending he didn’t see anything, and Yu named off a few chicken places and restaurants close enough to deliver.  Mr. Hanamura asked which one they preferred, and Yu mentioned a family restaurant very similar to Aiyas that they both liked.

“I’m going to order us dinner tonight.  We’re all tired and I don’t think anyone is up for cooking,” Mr. Hanamura said, waiving off his son’s protests as he stepped into the other room to order.

“So that’s where you get it from,” Yu said thoughtfully, causing Mrs. Hanamura to giggle again.

“They both like taking care of those they care about,” she agreed, giving her son a fond look.  Not too long afterward, the food arrived and they sat at the kitchen table, eating and talking about how nice the housewarming party was.  Just as Yosuke had said before, Mrs. Hanamura seemed to enjoy getting to see Yu’s mother and expressed interest in getting to know her better, while Mr. Hanamura asked Yu about his father’s hobbies.  They also worried about Teddie being home alone that night since he had volunteered to help look after the store while Mr. Hanamura took the day off, and Yosuke reassured them that he would be ok for one night.  They knew there was something odd about Teddie and had picked up that their son had been involved in some strange events second year, but still thought of the blond as being childlike and continued to look after him like he was their second son.

Once they finished eating, they headed to bed, everyone exhausted after the long day spent preparing, cleaning up, and in the Hanamura’s case traveling.  The next morning, Yosuke got up the earliest as was his norm now, and he threw together a simple breakfast of omurice for everyone while also getting the coffee pot going.  The others began to wake up just as Yosuke was finishing his breakfast and cleaning up after himself, waving as Yu and his parents entered the kitchen still looking quite tired.

“Good luck today,” Yosuke said, exchanging a kiss with his husband before hugging his parents who he wouldn’t be able to see when he returned home; they would be on the train to Inaba after seeing Yu’s office and having lunch with him and his parents.

“I hate you have to miss it.  I’ll make sure to take some nice photos,” Yosuke’s mom promised.  Yosuke grinned at her before waving, giving Yu one slightly worried glance as he headed out the door.  He hoped everything went alright that morning with his first day in the office and with his parents visiting, but he had a feeling deep inside he had nothing to worry about.  They had shown up for the housewarming and seemed pretty set on seeing their son’s new office.

Fortunately, just as the others finished up the breakfast Yosuke had cooked for them, there was a knock at the door as the Narukami’s arrived, yet again dressed spotlessly as they stepped in and exchanged greetings with everyone.  Mrs. Narukami noticed they had just finished up breakfast and said, “You all go and get ready.  I’ll clean this up for you.”

Yu tried to protest, and she firmly shook her head.  “Last night you all had to clean up yourselves.  It’s the least I could do,” she gently chastised.  While she rinsed the dishes, Yu’s father helped by drying them, and by the time the others had gotten changed and ready to go they had all been neatly put away.

“I see you keep the kitchen like we do at home,” his mother commented.  “Although it is a bit larger than ours.”

“Yes, Yosuke and I both agreed on having a nice sized kitchen since I enjoy cooking so much,” Yu admitted.  He was pouring Hana some food and making sure she had enough water before they headed out.  He looked a bit nervous as he gathered up his things, making sure he had everything ready.  His practice was within walking distance from their house which was good because they still didn’t own a car due to living in the city for so long.

Mrs. Hanamura seemed to notice his nervousness, and she reached over and gave his shoulder a friendly squeeze.  “You’re going to be fine Yu,” she said warmly, and Yu gave her a small smile, seeming to be a little bit calmed by her words.

The Narukami’s watched the exchange quietly, and they seemed to notice how easygoing Yu’s relationship was with his in-laws.  During the walk he kept up a pleasant conversation, and at one point Mr. Narukmi commented on it.  “I never realized you were so talkative,” he said to Yu.  “It’s nice seeing you with so many friends.  You never seemed to have as many in the city,” he added.

Yu looked at a loss for words for a moment, before saying, “I have a lot of friends in Inaba.  I guess…I did change a little after my stay there.”

There was a bit of tension for a moment before Mrs. Narukami stepped in.  “We’re very happy for you, Yu,” she explained.  “It’s nice seeing you so happy and relaxed.  We also want to thank you both as well, for treating our son so well.  He had a lot of fond stories about visiting your home.”

The Hanamura’s looked pleased.  “We love Yu.  He was a great influence on Yosuke,” Mr. Hanamura admitted.  “You raised a fine young man.”

“You did as well.  Yosuke has really brought our son out of his shell.  We did not realize how much until now,” Mr. Narukami admitted.  “He’s definitely in good hands.”

Yu couldn’t help but agree with his parents, and their kind comments about his husband made him feel strangely more at ease.  He hadn’t expected his parents to get along with Yosuke, and in their few interactions so far they seemed to really like him.  And then they appeared to be getting along well with the Hanamura’s as well who Yu had honestly seen as an extension of his family long before he and Yosuke started dating.  He found himself falling back into his normal calm, and by the time they reached his office he was ready to face his first day.  He showed his parents and the Hanamura’s his office building, and explained the process of picking it out and getting it cleaned up with Yosuke’s help.  He also explained how Yosuke had been completely on board with it when he had mentioned wanting to open his own office, even if it meant a reduction in income since he wouldn’t be working for a high profile firm anymore.  All Yosuke ever wanted was for Yu to be happy, and it really meant a lot to him.

He then began showing off his pictures, telling them where they had been taken, especially the ones from the birthday trip he had taken Yosuke on and later the surprise trip Yosuke had taken him on when he proposed.  He noticed that the picture from the wedding really caught his parent’s eye, and he couldn’t help but smile when he saw how happy they looked seeing that they were included on his wall as well.  Yu couldn’t help but think back to how this moment wouldn’t have happened without Yosuke’s suggestion, and he wondered how he could possibly make it up to his husband.  Yu spent a nice morning finishing getting his office set up while he entertained both sets of parents, and he had a few of the locals wander in, asking about the types of things he could do and a few asking to set up appointments as well.  Yu had a few similar phone calls that he took while both sets of parents chatted and had tea and snacks.  Once it was time for lunch, Yu locked up the office and flipped the sign he had set up on his door to closed with a time indicating when he’d be back for lunch before taking them out to one of the restaurants not far from where he worked.  They had a lovely time together, and Yu’s parents ended up treating them all, stating they wanted to do it as a present for their son starting out on his own and to thank the Hanamura’s for helping to take care of him in Inaba.  Yu couldn’t help but find it quite touching, and after they had finished eating and he saw both sets of parents off before returning to work, he sat in his office for a few minutes to ponder what he had just experienced.

Yu had never imagined bonding with his parents the same way he did with the Dojimas or the Hanamuras, mainly because after early childhood they had both become too busy and as a result he had learned very quickly how to be more independent.  He did form some of his hobbies based on early shared interests with his father, but he had to develop them on his own once his father didn’t seem to have as much time for them.  He certainly didn’t have the kind of relationship with them Yosuke had with his parents or Nanako did with Dojima, but he had always told himself he had accepted it and understood that was just how things were going to be.  Yu was beginning to realize that maybe deep down inside he hadn’t really accepted it, and he was definitely sure that Yosuke had somehow picked up on it which is why he had made the suggestion.  Yu leaned back in his office chair as he considered the possibilities, a feeling of trepidation creeping in.  He wasn’t sure what to expect out of a relationship with his parents, but he was certainly starting to want to try, and based on what he had seen so far they seemed willing to do the same. 

Yu shook his head, deciding to set aside those thoughts for now, and he got up to flip his sign over back to open as he prepared himself for the remainder of the day.  He knew it would be a bit slow today and it would take him awhile to get steady business, but he was already fortunate enough to have drummed up some interest and was looking forward to when he could immerse himself in local casework and have more control over the clients he took on than he did before.  He checked the time and calculated that Yosuke probably would have wrapped up at work by now and was either on his way home or doing something in the city.  Yu was glad he was able to set his own schedule now and would be able to get home earlier so he could spend more time with his husband; before, they would only really get to spend time together on weekends and for a few short hours in the evening if they were lucky.

Yu sent a text to Yosuke letting him know that things had gone well that morning and smiled at the barrage of questions he got sent in reply.  He knew that Yosuke had probably been wondering if things had gone well or not and knew he was just as invested in things going well between Yu and his parents.  Yu answered his messages patiently, while keeping an eye on the door for any potential clients.  He didn’t want to appear rude to anyone that could walk in at any moment.  Once he learned that Yosuke was indeed on his way home, Yu asked him to hold off on cooking dinner that night and wait for him to get home.  He knew he would probably leave work a little early that day since he didn’t have clients yet and he decided one way he could thank his husband was by cooking him one of his favorite meals for dinner that night.  While Yosuke was certainly able to hold his own in the kitchen these days, he still preferred Yu’s cooking and always looked forward to it.  Yosuke seemed to have caught onto Yu’s plan, because he responded with some excited emojis before saying he’d be sure to wait, causing Yu to smile before setting down his phone.  It was time for him to work on his online presence some more to make sure he showed up in search results and that his information was populated correctly online.  Yu stretched out his fingers before getting to work, feeling more confident about the future.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yosuke wants to surprise Yu for his upcoming birthday and asks if it's ok if they invite his parents.

The following weekend, Yu and Yosuke were lounging around in their sweats, Yosuke sprawled across the couch with his head in Yu’s lap while Hana was curled up on Yosuke’s chest.  They were having a lazy morning, opting to stay inside where it was nice and cozy since it was starting to get pretty cold outside the closer they got to winter.  In fact, it was going to be Yu’s birthday soon, and Yosuke was lost in thought over possibilities on how they could celebrate it instead of paying attention.  Yu appeared to have noticed, for he had switched it off the crime drama they had been watching and turned on the currently airing NHK Taiga drama which Yosuke would have normally whined and complained about.  He usually left the room when Yu and Yosuke’s father started watching, having no issues with it being a son and father in law bonding experience.  Suddenly, an idea popped into Yosuke’s head, and he twitched in excitement, catching Yu’s attention and causing Hana to open her eyes in order to give Yosuke a disgruntled look.  There was a reason she usually preferred to nap on Yu after all.

“What’s got you all excited?” Yu asked, glancing down at his husband before pausing the show, which momentarily distracted Yosuke,

“Seriously?” he asked, finally realizing what was playing, and Yu shrugged in reply.  “Well, I’m certainly not excited about the life of Saigo Takamori,” Yosuke quipped.  He had seen several episodes with Yu out of lack of anything else to do, and while he showed some interest in the fight scenes, anything political bored him to death.

“Well, what are you excited about then?” Yu pressed, poking a finger on Yosuke’s forehead and smiling at the way his husband’s eyes narrowed at him.  Hana seemed to sense their slight tension, and she got up with a stretch before hopping onto the back of the couch, watching them warily.

“I was thinking about your birthday,” Yosuke started, and Yu blinked.  He had never placed much importance on his own birthday and was still learning to try to remember it, let alone see it as something to celebrate even after being with Yosuke for so long.  Birthdays just weren’t that special in his family, and after a few memorable ones as a young boy they became a simple affair where Yu would pick out a place to eat and get a cake and presents from his parents.  While he did enjoy doing something special for Nanako and Yosuke, knowing how much celebrating birthdays meant to them, it still surprised him every time when Yosuke did the same back.  He couldn’t lie – the thought was nice and Yu always enjoyed the surprise – but it never failed that this time of year would come around again, and the fact it was his birthday would hit him by surprise.

“What about it?” Yu asked after a long pause, and Yosuke let out an annoyed huff.  They had been through this battle many times with Yosuke trying to remind Yu why his birthday – and in term himself – were so special, and every time Yu seemed to forget it seemed to be a personal affront to the brunet. 

“I was thinking that this year, maybe…” Yosuke started, before trailing off.  He wanted to give his suggestion but at the same time wasn’t sure how his husband would take it.

Yu threaded his fingers through Yosuke’s hair, gently scratching his scalp in order to relax him.  “You can tell me,” he gently coaxed, knowing that any idea Yosuke had would have his best interests at heart.  He was always more perceptive of Yu’s feelings than even he himself often was.

“Why don’t we invite your parents?” Yosuke finally asked, watching Yu carefully as he said it.  Yu’s finger’s stilled, and he appeared surprised by the suggestion, although not as wary as he had been when Yosuke recommended inviting them to the housewarming party.  Instead, he seemed hesitant, yet interested in the idea.  He stared down at Yosuke, studying his face that like always was open and flickering with a myriad of expressions.  He could tell Yosuke was nervous about the suggestion, but definitely optimistic and certainly thought it would be good for Yu.  It was that particular facet of his expression that made up the silver haired man’s mind.

“I think I would like that,” he said slowly, watching as a relieved grin lit up his husband’s face.

“Really?” he asked, and Yu’s eyes softened as he nodded in agreement.  “Awesome, then I’m going to call them right now!” he said, immediately sitting up.  “You can’t listen in though – this is going to be a surprise.”

“A surprise I already know,” Yu teased, and Yosuke shook his head.

“You don’t know what we’ll be doing,” he insisted with an excited smile before bounding into their bedroom and closing the door.  Yu chuckled before leaning his head back against the couch, his heart pounding with nervous anticipation.  He was still unsure about this changing relationship with his parents, but at the same time he couldn’t help but feel a little optimistic as well.  He knew with Yosuke supporting him, no matter what happened things would work out, but he was totally unsure as to what may happen the more he spent time with his parents.  They had been emotionally distant from each other for so long that it was hard to repair things overnight.

When Yosuke returned from the bedroom, a triumphant expression on his face, Yu couldn’t help but feel even more nervous.  “So, they agreed I take it?” he asked, and Yosuke nodded before leaning down to give him a reassuring kiss.

“Of course.  They’re as excited as I am,” Yosuke replied with a glint in his eye.  “So there’s nothing for you to worry about.”

Yu stared back at him, feeling a little of his anxiety fade away at Yosuke’s confident words, although there was still some at his core, leftover from childhood, that not even Yosuke could fully erase.  Yosuke seemed aware of that, but instead of calling him out on it he glanced back at the tv with a grimace before saying, “I guess we should finish this episode before figuring out what to do for lunch…” causing Yu to chuckle at his disgruntled expression.  He noticed a slight curve on Yosuke’s lips as he once again settled in his lap, and Yu had a feeling Yosuke had done that on purpose to set him back at ease.  It had worked, for Yu found himself settling back into their normal routine, Yosuke complaining about the show yet still paying close attention, while Yu tried his best to defend and explain it to the brunet who hadn’t watched for several episodes and was unaware of the changes in plot.  Yu appreciated the distraction, for he knew that thinking too much about his parents would only get him needlessly worked up.  He just had to stay positive – if Yosuke thought he would enjoy it, well if there was one thing he could trust it was Yosuke’s ability to make him happy.

The following weekend was Yu’s birthday, and he woke up that morning completely clueless as to what his husband had in store.  Yu knew Yosuke had called his parents several times that week in order to plan, but none of them had given him any idea as to what they had in store, and the closer they got to the day, the more Yu began to feel nervous anticipation.  Yosuke had barely convinced him to fall asleep the night before he was so wound up over it, and the only thing that had snapped Yu out of it was the moment he noticed Yosuke’s face grow worried.  Yu knew it meant Yosuke was regretting his decision to include his parents in his birthday celebration and somehow that was the thing that had strengthened Yu’s resolve and gotten him to relax.  Yu reached out and cupped Yosuke’s face, capturing his husband’s attention and causing him to visibly relax once he noticed the change in Yu’s mood, before he leaned in to press a kiss against Yosuke’s forehead, letting him know how much he appreciated him.

“You finally going to sleep?” Yosuke had quietly asked, and Yu had nodded, with both of them falling asleep soon afterward.  It had felt like they had just closed their eyes before they were awoken by the insistence of their cat who kept pawing at their hair, used to Yosuke’s weekday routine since that’s when she was fed.  While Yosuke took care of Hana, Yu whipped them up something to eat while wondering when his parents would arrive. 

“What should I wear today?” he asked curiously, and Yosuke grinned at him.

“Something warm,” he replied, which indicated Yu would be spending some time outdoors.  He couldn’t imagine his parents wanting to do something outdoorsy, but honestly they had been surprising him so far so Yu figured he should probably start reconsidering his long held beliefs about them.  As they got dressed, Yu noticed that Yosuke was dressing a little less warmly than he was; while Yosuke did tend to run warmer than Yu did, it still seemed a little off.

“Won’t you be cold?” Yu asked, and Yosuke merely pressed a kiss to his cheek before checking his phone for the time. 

“Your parents should be here any moment,” he muttered to himself, before heading to their closet and rooting around.  Yu’s eyebrows furrowed as he watched Yosuke, curious over what he had planned.  It wasn’t until Yosuke emerged with two of Yu’s fishing rods and his box of tackle that realization hit.

“We’re going fishing?” he asked in surprise as Yosuke handed him both rods.

“ _You’re_ going fishing,” Yosuke explained.  “With your dad.  I seem to remember you mentioning offhand one day that he was the one who taught you to fish.”

Yu blinked in surprise, for he had said it once to Yosuke, back in Inaba when the brunet had been accompanying him at the Samegawa river.  Somehow the conversation had turned to his parents, no doubt from a question from his curious partner, and Yu had already trusted Yosuke enough by that point to let that tidbit of information slip out.  He hardly ever talked about his parents to anyone, and it still surprised him that Yosuke had managed to draw it out of him, and that he had remembered that detail all these years later.  Yu blushed at the thought, turning his head away from Yosuke by pretending to study the fishing line to ensure it was still usable.  If Yosuke noticed he didn’t say anything, and was soon bounding out to greet Yu’s parents who had just knocked on the front door.  That’s when Yu belatedly remembered Yosuke’s words.

“What will you and my mother be doing then?” he asked, stepping out into the other room just as Yosuke opened the door.

“That is a secret,” Yosuke said proudly as he invited them inside.  He then winked at Yu.  “Don’t worry, I know how to treat a lovely lady.”

Mrs. Narukami laughed at that, before adding conspiratorially, “Nothing to fret about, my dear son.  I am in good hands.”

Yu let out a disgruntled sigh, before reaching out to pet Hana who seemed to understand they would all be leaving her soon and didn’t see happy at the idea.  Yu’s parents who hadn’t gotten to see her much during their last visit were this time properly introduced and seemed delighted by their grand-kitten.  Yosuke, meanwhile, pulled out the scarf Kanji had made for Yu for Christmas one year, a gray and orange scarf that matched the one he had also made for Yosuke.  He wrapped it around Yu’s neck, fussing over it for a moment until it seemed warm and snug.  Yu could tell by the slight way his fingers trembled that he also seemed nervous, although more out of anticipation than like last night when he almost regretted his decision.  “You make sure to show your dad a good time,” Yosuke said.  “He let me know he’s probably going to be a bit rusty at fishing, so help him out and try not to show off too much.”

Yu pretended to look offended by his words while his parents seemed amused.  “I thought I was supposed to be the one getting spoiled as the birthday boy?” Yu asked, and Yosuke shot him a grin.

“Oh, we’re going to spoil you, no worries there,” he grinned.  He then offered his arm to Yu’s mother, who linked arms with him quite willingly.  Yu couldn’t remember the last time he had seen his mother in such high spirits and was amazed at how Yosuke’s playful energy seemed to draw her out of her shell. 

‘I suppose I’m not the only Narukami affected by his charms,’ he thought wryly as Yosuke and his mother headed off, Yosuke immediately drawing her into a lively conversation.

That left Yu and his father.  Yu glanced over at his dad, suddenly feeling a little unsure.  Honestly, he got his stoic personality from his father, and while they had spent some time together when Yu was a young boy, that had pretty much stopped as he had gotten older.  His mom was a little easier to deal with than his dad, since she had more of the same frankness of his uncle.  He assumed it was a Dojima trait.

“I assume we’re probably going to be fishing at the park?” Yu commented, hoisting the fishing rods over his shoulder as he reached down to pick up the tackle box.  To his surprise, his father snatched it up before he had a chance.

“Yosuke-kun was saying the pond had a pretty good variety of fish, even at this time of year,” his father replied.  Yu raised his eyebrow at the use of the honorific, realizing that through their phone conversations Yosuke must have gotten closer with his parents.  Last he remembered they were still formally calling him san.

“I’m surprised he remembered that,” Yu said with a laugh.  He was touched though, for Yosuke seemed to pay attention and remember details like that even for Yu’s hobbies that Yosuke didn’t find that interesting.  “Ready to go?”

His father nodded, and they ended up having a quiet walk to the park.  Silent moments with his father was nothing new to Yu, but he was surprised to find that while he was still nervous, it didn’t feel unpleasant or tense as it sometimes had in his youth.  His father was looking around their neighborhood with interest and seemed to be picking up details with the same observant expression Yu himself often wore.  It was more like they were enjoying each other’s company without needing to verbally let each other know, and Yu began to wonder if maybe more of those moments in childhood were meant to be the same thing.

Once they got to the park, they headed over to a bench situated next to the pond, Yu helping tie on their hooks and picking out lures for them to use.  His father looked on with interest, asking questions as he worked, and Yu was surprised to find it a complete reversal to the first time his father had taken him fishing as a kid.  “When’s the last time you’ve been fishing?” he asked curiously, surprised to realize that he now appeared to be the expert.

“I haven’t been since the last time I took you,” his father admitted.  “I never had time to go myself and didn’t see the point.”  Yu paused, understanding his underlying meaning.  He didn’t see the point in going if it wasn’t an outing with his son.  He felt both sad yet strangely happy at the idea, sad that his father didn’t really seem to do much for himself, yet happy that he had seen those outings as something special himself.  “You will have to excuse me, I believe I have forgotten a lot and will be very rusty,” his father added apologetically.

Yu shook his head.  “I will show the same patience you showed to me,” he grinned, going over the basics with his father and helping him get used to casting again.  He was true to his word and remained patient every step of the way, and soon they were both sitting side by side on the bench, watching the drifting motions of their bobs as they floated on the gentle ripples in the water, waiting for a tug downward to indicate they had a bite.  They were quiet again as they focused on the moment, Yu slowly starting to remember why he and his father both seemed to enjoy this hobby.  He honestly hadn’t gotten to fish much himself while he and Yosuke lived in Tokyo, and it was his first time going out to do so since they had moved into the new house; he had just been so busy getting the house set up and then starting his firm.  He had the same patience his father did, the same quiet observation that partnered well with fishing, and was also the same reason his more energetic husband abhorred the hobby.  He had no problem with Yu going out to enjoy himself, but if he was coming along he always ended up taking walks around the park or finding something more active to do as he waited.  It was nice having someone of his same temperament to keep him company, and Yu realized that Yosuke truly had made the right call.

His father suddenly cleared his throat, which caught Yu’s attention, causing him to turn his head to glance at him.  “Yes?” he asked curiously.

“I was curious about your relationship with your father in law,” his father finally admitted, and Yu’s eyes widened in surprise.  That was certainly not something he would have expected to come up for discussion.

He glanced back out at the water, eyes following the gentle motions of both of their bobs as he considered his response.  “He’s a really good man,” Yu finally explained.  “He and Yosuke get along really well – he was the one who gave Yosuke his appreciation for music, and it’s really something watching them both in the middle of a discussion about it,” he admitted.  “He can be hard on Yosuke sometimes and was definitely worried about how he used to slack off in school, but it was always out of love.  I can tell how proud he is of him now for pursuing his interests and building a life for himself that makes him happy.”

His father was quiet for a moment, before replying, “You both seem to get along well,” eyes also staring out at the water.

Yu glanced at him, cursing his father’s stoic expression that he had inherited.  He didn’t seem upset though from what he could glean, and he appeared mostly curious.  Yu took a deep breath before releasing it.  “You heard his parents before – they both took to me immediately.  I think they realized that Yosuke started changing after we became friends.  He had a rough time in Inaba at first – the transition for him wasn’t as easy as it was for me.”  His father did tense a little at that, and Yu bit his lip for he hadn’t meant it in a harsh way.  “What I mean was, his father is the manager of the local Junes branch that had just opened and the locals resented the impact it had on local businesses.  Yosuke received the brunt of a lot of that frustration while I had a much warmer welcome.”

His father’s shoulders relaxed, and Yu leaned back on the bench.  “As I got to know their family, however, I found out his father also loved the Taiga dramas we used to watch together.  Yosuke despises them so it became our thing.  When I would visit we would discuss the most recent episode.  I think he enjoyed being able to share his hobby with someone since neither Yosuke nor his mother enjoy them.”

Mr. Narukami’s fingers were lax as he loosely held the fishing rod in his hands, and Yu could tell that he appeared a little melancholy at his words.  Yu realized that his father must feel a little jealous of his father in law and the relationship they had with each other, which surprised him.  Yu studied him quietly for a few moments, knowing that his father would never admit to those kinds of feelings.  “Hey, dad?” Yu asked, surprising both of them since he never spoke to his parents so informally.  His father didn’t seem to mind though and looked at him expectantly.

“We could always watch an episode together while we wait for whatever surprise the other two have in store,” Yu explained.  His father perked up at the idea, sitting up straighter.

“Are you sure?” he asked.  “It’s your birthday – I want us to do what you want.  I’m just enjoying us spending time together.”

Yu nodded.  “It’s cold out and the fish really aren’t biting anyway,” he shrugged.

His father smiled, and Yu was taken aback, for he couldn’t remember the last time he had seen him look so relaxed.  It was almost like his offer had taken a weight off of his shoulders, and Yu began to wonder if maybe his father had felt like he had been replaced.  Yu felt his heart constrict for a moment at the thought, before shaking his head.  Now wasn’t the time for such negative thoughts.  They gathered up their gear, Yu taking charge of the fishing rods while his father grabbed the tackle box again, and they were soon on their way back home, and they were greeted at the door by Hana who appeared delighted to see them and was more than happy to climb onto Yu’s lap once she realized they were heading to the couch to watch tv.  Yu had all the episodes recorded just in case he wanted to go back and watch something from a previous episode since it was such a long drama and it was sometimes hard to keep up with all the moving parts in the show, so he was able to pull up the first once so his father wouldn’t be completely lost.  They ended up relaxing together on the couch, enjoying each other’s company as they quietly discussed the show, and Yu couldn’t help but yet again appreciate his husband’s suggestion.

‘He really does know me better than myself,’ Yu mused as he scratched under Hana’s chin and listened to his father’s questions about the scene they were watching.  It reminded him a bit of watching with Yosuke’s father, and he had a feeling if they got to know each other better they would probably become good friends.  Yu couldn’t help but wonder what his mother and Yosuke were up to and how long they would be out; he was really curious as to how their day was going on their secret outing.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yosuke and Mrs. Narukami go grocery shopping in order to pick out all the ingredients they need to make Yu's birthday meal~

Earlier that morning, Yosuke had whisked Mrs. Narukami to the grocery store that he and Yu frequented.  The other part of his husband’s birthday surprise was that he and his mother were going to make Yu all of his favorite dishes, something that Mrs. Narukami had seemed especially enthusiastic about since she was often too busy to cook.  She was, however, excellent at it, as Yosuke was discovering as she picked out their ingredients with a critical eye.  She seemed to have the same knack for selecting them that her son did, and Yosuke was quickly beginning to figure out where Yu had inherited his cooking talent. 

“Were you the one that taught Yu how to cook?” Yosuke asked curiously as they meandered around the store.  He had been keeping her entertained with stories from when they had first met in Inaba – carefully edited of course to avoid mention of the Shadow World – and when he and Yu had started dating in college.  She loved hearing Yosuke talk about Yu since he brought up a different side to her son than she knew and it touched her how fond he was of his husband.

Mrs. Narukami stilled at his question though, and Yosuke immediately regretted asking, realizing that maybe he had stepped into something he shouldn’t have.  Before he could try to change topics, however, she slowly began to answer.  “I think the correct answer is both yes and no,” she started, her eyes distant as she came up with a response.  “When my son was a young boy, I wasn’t as busy at my job yet and had more time to cook for him.  He always loved helping me out in the kitchen, and even though I only let him do basic tasks since he was still too young to use any equipment or the stove, he seemed to pay close attention to what I was doing and picked up on anything I taught him to do very quickly.  So, I do believe he had a basis of cooking from just watching me in the kitchen growing up.”

She bit her lip and paused before moving on to the next part.  “Then I got my first promotion and after that I just started to get so busy.  I didn’t have time to cook anymore and we had to constantly order food or grab something convenient to bring home.  Then, one day, I came home with some take out I had picked up and realized Yu had already cooked something himself.  And it started happening more and more often until one day he just cooked dinner every night instead.”

Yosuke’s mouth dropped open in surprise, and he couldn’t help but blurt out, “Wow, he really is amazing, isn’t he?”  Mrs. Narukami took in his look of wonder and affection over her son, and she felt some of her tension ease out of her.  It was hard to feel upset with her son in law around.

“He really is,” she agreed.  “But you are too!”  She winked at him, giggling as a blush spread across his face.

He was about to downplay her words, his mouth open and ready to insist there was no way he was as amazing as her son, but he suddenly stopped and instead shyly accepted the compliment.  Yu had been working with him on getting better about his self-esteem and accepting it when he received compliments, and he knew he couldn’t let his husband down in front of his mom.  He also mulled over her story, realizing now why she had trouble helping him come up with the menu for today.  All of her recommendations had been based on when Yu was a boy, and while a few such as omuraisu were definitely things Yosuke wanted to make, he had gently pushed her in the direction of new favorites for her son, things that he particularly enjoyed cooking or would order when they ate out.  Yosuke could definitely imagine that when Yu cooked for his parents, he had done so with their preferences in mind, so it didn’t surprise him that she would be at a loss as to his current favorites.  He had done his best not to make it awkward or upsetting for her by remaining enthusiastic and gently giving his own recommendations, for he didn’t want her to become discouraged and knew it was probably frustrating for her.  The focus at the end of the day was making Yu happy, and they were both definitely on the same page about that.

Once they had finished getting all of their groceries for the rather ambitious meal they had planned, Yosuke ordered them a taxi for the ride home, for they had too many groceries to comfortably try to carry back.  Once they had placed the groceries in the trunk and settled in at the back, Yu’s mother was the one to bring up their next topic of conversation.  “I want to thank you, Yosuke-kun,” she said, turning to face him and bowing slightly.  Yosuke found himself turning red again by her very formal manner of showing gratitude, especially since he had no idea why.  She seemed to pick up on his questioning gaze, for she gave him a patient smile, an echo to the one Yu often gave him, before explaining, “You and your friends in Inaba, you all really changed my son.  When he returned from his year there, he became so much more open and expressive and really seemed to settle into himself in a way he never had before.  And I could tell by how often he spoke of you who the strongest influence on him was.  It’s why when he first revealed your relationship to me, I had no problem with it.”

Yosuke was surprised that she was being so honest with him.  They had been getting along in their chats on the phone, but such a confession was wholly unexpected.  He suddenly wondered if she had ever said as much to Yu and somehow doubted it.  “I think what surprised me the most is how much he liked it there because I hated Inaba growing up.  I felt awful sending him there for a year, but at that time we had no choice,” she sighed.  “I felt that it would be better for him to at least stay in Japan and be with family than drag him with us overseas.  And yet, somehow, he fell in love with my hometown and took to it much differently than I ever did.”

Yosuke couldn’t help but chuckle at that.  “I hated Inaba at first too,” he admitted.  “To be honest, my first year there was pretty rough.  I grew up in the city and hated how boring everything was.  And…let’s just say, my family didn’t exactly get a warm welcome from the locals because my dad was the manager for the Junes that had just opened up.”

Mrs. Narukami slowly nodded her head.  “Yu told me about that,” she replied softly.  “What made you change your mind?”

“Yu did,” Yosuke admitted, his expression relaxing as he reminisced.  “To be honest, after I became friends with Yu, he began to show me some of Inaba’s good qualities.  Now it honestly feels more like home than Tokyo ever did growing up.”

Mrs. Narukami tilted her head slightly as she mulled over his words.  “I am sure it was much the same for my son,” she murmured, more to herself although Yosuke definitely overheard.  She then gave him a wide smile.  “Truly, though, thank you,” she suddenly said.  “Not just for what I said earlier.  I could tell by all the thought you’ve put into Yu’s birthday and how well you know what his preferences are both with his hobbies and his favorite dishes that my son really means a lot to you.  You pay him all the attention and care he deserves.”

“I mean, Yu does the same for everyone else,” Yosuke said adamantly.  “He deserves to have the same done for him!”

“He does,” she agreed.  “But often people like him don’t get the same in return.  I’m just happy he found you.”

Before Yosuke could wilt anymore under her warm praise, their taxi thankfully arrived at his house, and he gratefully leapt out so he could open the door for Mrs. Narukami and help her out.  After paying the taxi driver, he took most of the groceries, although she insisted on carrying some of them, before they yet again linked arms and headed up to the house.  Once they reached the front door, Mrs. Narukami conspiratorially put a finger to her lips and winked at him, and Yosuke quickly nodded with understanding.

They quietly stepped inside before tiptoeing past the living room where Yu and Mr. Narukami were absorbed in an episode of the NHK drama, Hana surprisingly curled up on Mr. Narukami’s lap as he absentmindedly petted her.  Both Yosuke and Mrs. Narukami looked ready to melt at the sight of the Narukami men bonding together, but they knew they couldn’t waste any time since they had a lot of food to cook and instead made their way into the kitchen.  Once inside they got to work and dropped all pretenses of being quiet as Mrs. Narukami began to direct them in the kitchen, asking Yosuke to pull down the cooking utensils they’d need while organizing the groceries for each dish they’d work on.  He was amazed to see her at work, suddenly spotting similarities between her and her son by how organized and precise she was as she obviously planned out how they would work on each dish.  Then the kitchen was a whirlwind of activity as they both started, Mrs. Narukami somehow able to keep up with where they were at on every dish and keeping them on track as they worked on each one in different steps depending on how much time they’d take to cook.  Yu tried to pop his head in at one point, curious as to what all the commotion was about, and he was immediately admonished by both his mother and his husband who shooed him out of the kitchen.

“That boy doesn’t know how to accept a surprise,” Mrs. Narukami muttered to herself, and Yosuke couldn’t help but chuckle since he often complained about the same thing.

“Honestly he was probably about to offer to help,” Yosuke agreed, before dramatically shuddering.  “Can you imagine?  Him helping cook his own birthday meal?”

Mrs. Narukami giggled at her son in law before they returned their focus on cooking.  They soon had a spread that included omuraisu, curry, grilled fish, Yu’s favorite vegetable side dishes, and even a tofu dish that Yosuke carefully set on the opposite end of the table from himself.  They had also baked a small cake which was currently cooling so they could frost it after dinner.  Yosuke knew that they had cooked way too much food and would be packing a lot of leftovers, but he honestly didn’t mind.  He was just looking forward to the look on Yu’s face when he walked in and saw it.

They both quickly finished cleaning up, Yosuke having finally mastered the art of cleaning as he cooked so they didn’t have too much to wash up, before Mrs. Narukami stepped outside to grab the men in her family as Yosuke dimmed the lights, finished pouring drinks, and lit the candles.  He had just stepped back to admire his work when the Narukami’s walked into the room, and Yosuke and his mother in law proudly looked on as Yu and his father stared in awe at the spread.  To Yosuke’s surprise, Yu’s breath caught in his throat, and he watched as Yu shot a glance at his mother before his hand came up to cover his mouth.  Once Yosuke spotted the tears starting to form in his husband’s eyes, he prepared himself to rush over to his side, but stopped once he saw Yu’s mother move in instead.  She placed her arm around his shoulder and pulled him in for a hug, and Yosuke and his father in law watched quietly as Yu’s head dropped onto his mother’s shoulder as he silently cried in her arms.  After a moment, Yu’s father stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on his son’s back, and Yosuke began to feel his own eyes well up as he looked in on the family moment.  After hearing a little about Yu’s childhood that afternoon, he understood exactly why Yu was reacting the way he was, and he wondered suddenly when the last time was that he had eaten his mother’s cooking.  Now it suddenly made sense why Yu always enjoyed eating at his house.

Once Yu had calmed down and finally pulled away from his parents, he turned to face Yosuke, meeting his worried gaze with one that was tender and full of love and gratitude for what he had done for his birthday.  Yosuke bashfully ran his hand through the back of his hair, unable to hold his gaze for very long before shyly looking away.  When they all sat down, Yu took his seat to Yosuke’s left with his mother to Yosuke’s right while his father was across the table from him.  As his parents began to fill their plates, Yu reached over to take Yosuke’s hand, resting it on his leg and allowing Yosuke to thread their fingers together before giving his hand an encouraging squeeze.  They then also began to dig in, having to ask Yu’s parents for help since trying to serve themselves single handedly was a difficult task.  They both continued to hold hands throughout dinner, with Yu and his father and honestly Yosuke as well pretty impressed by how the food had come out.  He had gotten a lot better at cooking but everything had come out tasting almost as good as Yu’s, and he had a feeling once his mom was back in the practice of cooking again, she could easily catch up to his skills.

When everyone had almost finished eating, Mrs. Narukami got up in order to ice the cake.  When Yosuke moved to follow her, she shook her head and motioned for him to sit down, not wanting to pull him away from her son.  It didn’t take her long to spread on the simple icing they had whipped up, and she had soon cut each of them a slice of lemon cake before bringing the pieces over to serve each of them.  They all sang Yu happy birthday, who looked embarrassed, yet happy, throughout the song, before taking a bite of the perfectly moist cake.  It had a nice, refreshing lemon flavor and the icing wasn’t too sweet and was a good compliment to the cake.  Once they had finished eating it, Yu turned to his parents.  “Thank you both for coming to celebrate with me today,” he said, sincerely looking grateful.  “You don’t know how much it means to me.”

His parents exchanged looks for a moment before his mother replied, “It means a lot to us as well.”  She smiled warmly at him before nudging her husband’s foot.

“We want to thank you for inviting us,” he added, bowing his head slightly to Yosuke.  “It probably wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for you.  We truly appreciate you looking out for our son.”

It was Yu’s turn to squeeze Yosuke’s hand this time, as the brunet appeared speechless at the compliment.  That seemed to snap him out of it.  “Ah, yeah, of course,” he stuttered, before taking a deep breath.  “I mean, no, thank you for coming.  It means a lot to the both of us.  I couldn’t think of a better way for Yu to celebrate his birthday.”  He smiled widely at them both, and they appeared flustered by the comment.  It was getting late though, and Yosuke knew they’d have to head out soon.

“I should help you clean this up,” Mrs. Narukami said, but as she stood up Yosuke shook his head. 

“I’ve got this!” he insisted.  “How about you go ahead and show your parents out?” he suggested, glancing at his husband.  He thought it would be nice for them to have a moment alone together before they left.

“Not without a hug from you first,” Mrs. Narukami insisted, and Yosuke was surprised when she pulled him into her arms, her grip surprisingly strong for her slender size.  Mr. Narukami also clapped him on the back, further surprising him.

“We look forward to seeing you again,” he said, his lips slightly upturning which astonished all of them.  It was very rare for the stoic man to smile, far more so than for his son.

Yu then headed out into the living room to say his final farewells to his parents, while Yosuke got to work packing away leftovers into containers and getting ready to do the dishes.  Once Yosuke heard the door close, he looked up to see Yu walk back into the kitchen, looking almost lost now that his parents were gone.  Yosuke quickly set down the plate he was about to wash and dried off his hands before rushing over to his husband’s side.  He pulled Yu into a hug, surprised that yet again his husband looked close to tears for the second time that night.  Yu never got emotional like this, at least not where it was so obvious, and Yosuke was at a loss as to why.  Yu sank into Yosuke’s arms, closing his eyes and breathing in his scent until he finally began to calm down.

Yosuke was torn over what to say.  He had almost blurted out, “Was that whole thing a mistake?” but had bit his tongue at the last minute; thankfully, his brain caught up with his mouth for once.  He knew that saying that would be a bad idea, so instead he settled for, “Everything ok?”

Yu simply pulled away before dragging him over to the couch, sitting down heavily next to him before staring down at the ground as he gathered his thoughts.  Yosuke placed a comforting hand on his leg while watching quietly, waiting for Yu to respond.  Hana who had disappeared once they had started on dinner, crept back into the room and lay down by Yu’s feet, as if to protect him from whatever was bothering him.  That seemed to give him the impetus to speak.

“I really appreciate what you did for me today,” Yu began, tilting his head to look at Yosuke.  “I know I’m giving you mixed signals right now but…spending time with my parents.  Reconnecting with my dad.  Eating my mother’s cooking.  It means a lot to me.”

Yosuke reached over and gently cupped Yu’s face, before quietly asking, “Then why do you look so upset?” 

Yu closed his eyes and rested his cheek against Yosuke’s palm for a moment, before guiltily admitting, “Because deep down I keep thinking, why now?  Why couldn’t it have happened earlier, when I was younger, when their attention was something I craved?”  He cracked his eyes opened and looked at Yosuke, eyes full of turmoil.  “Isn’t it selfish of me to feel this way?  Shouldn’t I just appreciate that I’m getting it now?”

Yosuke bit his lip at his husband’s expression, before shaking his head and pulling him into his arms.  “Yu, it’s totally ok to feel bitter,” he replied, running his hand through Yu’s hair in a soothing motion.  “You know, you deserve to have those questions answered and it’s normal for you to wish it could have happened earlier.”

Yosuke then took a deep breath, finally voicing his worry from earlier.  “Was…it a mistake?  For me to encourage you to reach out to them?” he finally asked.  “I don’t want to cause you pain.  I’d never want to case you pain…”

Yu pulled away before placing both hands on Yosuke’s shoulders so he could look him directly in the eyes.  “I’m glad you encouraged me,” he admitted.  “I may feel bitter, but more than anything else I’m so grateful to you for causing this to happen.  I never would have done it on my own – I was convinced I was never going to have the kind of relationship I have with my parents that you have with yours – and I really do want to have that.”  It seemed that admitting as much had taken a big weight off of his shoulders, and Yosuke watched as his husband’s stormy expression finally melted away into something calm and reflective.  He pressed a kiss to Yosuke’s cheek before adding, “You know me better than anyone which is why you kept encouraging all of us all along.”

Yosuke grasped both of Yu’s hands before gently squeezing them, and giving him one of his rare, serious expressions.  The kind that Yu always knew meant he was going to take what he said to heart.  “I do want you to talk to them about how they made you feel growing up though,” Yosuke replied, and Yu’s face blanched at the idea.  “You don’t have to do it now, of course, definitely wait until you’re ready.  But I think it’s important for all of you to address it.  I’m not sure if you’ll be able to let these feelings you have go until then.”

Yu looked uncertain, and pulled his hands away.  “But what if it undoes everything up until now?  All of those steps we’ve made?” he asked, suddenly looking young and vulnerable and taking Yosuke back to that night at the hospital when Yu had thought he had lost everything.

“Hey, Yu?” Yosuke asked, catching his attention again.  Yu looked at him hopefully, as if Yosuke would have the magic answer.  “Like I said, it’s your decision.  I don’t think that it’ll hurt to talk about it though.  After spending time with your mom today…I think she has a lot of regrets.  And I think she would be willing to make up for them.”

Yu thought back to his own conversations with his father, and slowly began to realize that Yosuke was probably right.  Then again, when it came to things related to him, when was he not?  Yu shook his head before taking a deep, shaky breath, and looked up to face Yosuke again.  “I’m not ready quite yet,” he admitted.  “Give me a few days.  But…I think I’m going to do it.”  He then climbed onto Yosuke’s lap, burying his head against his shoulder again, and allowing his husband to sooth all of his worries through gentle caresses and softly encouraging words.  It was very rare that Yu was the one who needed comfort, especially to the point of clinging as he was, but when he did Yosuke never shied away from the task.  He considered it a sacred part of their partnership and would always be there when Yu needed him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yu invites his parents out to dinner in order to finally ask them, "Why now?" and express how conflicted he has been feeling with them back in his life again.

Yu sat stiffly on his knees, back ramrod straight, the tea that had been poured for him by the waitress untouched and slowly cooling.  He had arrived to dinner 30 minutes early, and after pacing outside of the traditional restaurant that he thought an appropriate setting for what he planned to do tonight both for its privacy and how it fit into his upbringing he finally decided to go in 15 minutes early.  His parents were always perfectly punctual – they were never the type to show up early but they were also never late.  Which meant they would be arriving in exactly 5 minutes.

Yu let out a deep breath, reflecting back on his conversation with his husband two days ago when he had told him he was finally ready to talk to his parents.  His husband’s eyes had widened and were a perfect mix of worry and pride over him finally resolving to make his decision.  Yosuke had been a bundle of nervous energy ever since, checking on him to make sure he was truly ready for it, which oddly enough had steeled Yu’s resolve.  He didn’t want all of Yosuke’s support and encouragement to go to waste, and with him so invested in his relationship with his parents it had given him the confidence to go for it.  Yosuke had flitted about him that afternoon, helping him get ready in one of his nicer suits that he felt was appropriate for the formal conversation he was planning, and Yu had a feeling he would be pacing about in the house until he returned home tonight.  Yu couldn’t help but smile at that, and he finally reached over to pick up the cup and take a sip of the tea, which was rich in flavor and helped soothe his nerves. 

At that moment, the rice paper door slid open to reveal the waitress who was kneeling on the wooden ledge next to the tatami covered floor.  His parents were standing behind her, his father also in a suit and his mother in a lavender colored dress and wearing the pearls his father had gotten her for their 20th anniversary.  They both seemed to have figured out their son had ulterior motives for their meeting for they both had a stiffness about them that they hadn’t had on their recent interactions.  They also carried themselves very formally, bowing their heads in greeting as Yu carefully tilted his head into a lower bow.  His parents slid off their shoes before stepping up into the tatami covered room and taking their places across from him.  They also kneeled with perfect posture, and after the waitress poured them their tea they carefully turned their cups before each taking a delicate sip.  The waitress seemed to pick up on the tension in the room and excused herself, stating that she would return once their first course was ready.  She then slid the door closed before shuffling away.

Yu waited until her shadow could no longer be seen through the door before turning his gaze onto his parents.  They watched him expectantly, obviously waiting for him to explain why he had invited them out to dinner alone.  “How was the trip here?” Yu asked, before taking another sip of his lukewarm tea.

“We had no problems with our travel,” his mother replied.  “How is Yosuke-kun?”

“He’s doing well,” Yu replied, suddenly feeling the need to tap his fingers on the table as his husband often did but barely containing himself.  He wanted to appear strong in front of his parents as he asked them what had been on his mind since Yosuke had started reaching out to them.  His parents were both watching him expectantly, and Yu decided he wouldn’t waste their time with anymore small talk.

“After you left on my birthday, I had a conversation with Yosuke,” he began to explain, and he watched his parent’s faces both smooth over as he began to talk.  They each had their own tells, however, which allowed Yu to realize just how nervous they were.  His mother began to fiddle with one of the pearls on her necklace while his father began to tap his finger against the edge of his cup of tea.   It actually made him feel better about what he was about to say, for if they were this nervous it meant they were probably just as worried as he had been when Yosuke had first brought up telling them his feelings over their relationship over the years.  And if they were also concerned then it would probably end up alright in the end.

“I’ve been enjoying spending time with you again,” Yu continued, feeling the tension ease from his shoulders as he began to talk.  This was something he had been holding deep inside since he was a boy and finally getting it off his chest was going to be a relief.  “I don’t think I could ever adequately express to my husband how much it truly means to me that he’s brought us together like this.”

“We are truly indebted to Yosuke-kun,” his father spoke up, and Yu couldn’t help but feel warmth spread over him over his father’s honest praise of his husband.  It always meant so much to him when others saw Yosuke’s admirable qualities, and the fact that it was his own parents made it all the more special.

“Thank you,” Yu replied, giving his father a small, sincere smile.  His father nodded his head back, before his fingers tightened on his glass.  His mother similarly removed her fingers from her necklace and had tightly folded them in her lap.  It appeared they were bracing themselves for what their son had to say next.

“I truly appreciate having you in my life again,” Yu slowly began, before hesitating.  His eyebrows furrowed and he found himself suddenly getting emotional again, cursing inwardly as the feelings washed over him.  He wanted to be strong for this, so his parents could really understand how their relationship had impacted him growing up, and felt that he couldn’t adequately express it if he got upset.  To his surprise, him mother reached across the table and placed her hand over his, which was gripping his cup in a way not unlike his father, before giving it an encouraging squeeze.  She smiled at him, and although she looked nervous there was still a warmth and expression of love that made Yu realize it was ok.  Even if he was getting emotional, his parents would listen and hopefully understand.

Yu cleared his throat, realizing that it suddenly felt thick with the feelings coursing through him.  “At the same time though, a thought kept running through my head.  I kept wondering, ‘Why now?’”  He looked at his parents expectantly.  “I told Yosuke how I was feeling and wondered was I wrong to think that way?  Shouldn’t I just accept what I had now?”  His parents both looked stricken at his words, and Yu could tell by how unsettled they appeared and how his mother was rapidly shaking her head that they both felt guilty and probably similarly to how Yosuke had felt.  “Yosuke though…he told me it was ok to feel bitter.  And he wanted me to be honest with you and let you know how I felt.  He…he thought it would be ok.”  Yu looked at both of his parents, and while part of him felt better he also suddenly felt very tired.  It appeared his parents felt the same, for their posture had uncharacteristically sagged at his words.

His parents were looking at each other, exchanging silent communication for several moments before his mother nodded and his father looked shaken for the first time that Yu could remember.  Their conversation was interrupted as their waitress slid the door open with their first course while also replacing their tea with a fresh cup.  All three of them immediately took a sip, needing the warmth to calm their nerves, as the waitress slid the door back shut behind her.

“Our son in law is correct,” his father finally replied, and Yu rested his hands in his lap, his hands tightly clasped as he waited for him to speak.  “You deserve to know the truth,” he added, speaking slowly.  It appeared his father was working up the courage to speak, and for the first time Yu saw him as a man in his own right, untethered to the designation of father that Yu had seen him as his whole life until that very moment.  It was odd, realizing that his parents weren’t just his mother and father and were, in fact, people.  Yu suddenly wondered if Yosuke had ever come to the same conclusion about his own parents and figured, with how friendly their relationship had become in Yosuke’s adulthood, that was probably also the case.

“I want to be transparent with you and to start off by explaining this is not an excuse for my actions.  I…” his father trailed off for a moment.  “I suppose I want you to understand.  My background and how it shaped the decisions I made.  I think…deep down I knew they were not the right ones.  But I did not have a basis to understand why until recently.”  Yu had a feeling he was probably talking about Yosuke’s parents, and he remembered clearly the impression Mr. Hanamura seemed to leave on him with his easy-going relationship with Yosuke and himself.

Yu nodded his head in encouragement, indicating he was listening.  His father shifted positions, moving from his stiff, formal posture to sitting with his legs crossed as he used to when Yu was a boy and they would sit together on the floor while watching the most recent NHK drama together.  The image flooded Yu with nostalgia, and for a moment he caught a glimpse of his father as a younger man when he had still been involved in his life.

“Growing up I was much like you.  The single son of a wealthy family.  My father was a well-known doctor who was never home and my mother stayed home and raised me.  She was very strict – my family and consequently all the families we interacted with had high expectations their children, both academically and in regards to any sports or hobbies we were told to take on.  I was destined to become a doctor as my father was and had a very narrow path to follow in life.”  Yu’s father spoke matter of factly, and while Yu couldn’t help but feel such a childhood had to be stifling, it was almost like his father didn’t understand quite how horrible it sounded.

“I am beginning to realize there wasn’t much love in my house,” his father added.  “I never once saw my parents show any sign of affection to one another, and when I was still very young they started to treat me the same way.”  Yu’s mother flinched, and Yu’s breath caught when he watched her reach over for his father’s hand, simply holding it and running her thumb soothingly along the back of his hand.  While his parents weren’t as openly affectionate as the Hanamura’s were, they had always had their moments, often exchanging kisses when one of them got home from work.  He didn’t think he had ever seen them comfort each other in front of him before though, and it was just another sign he was seeing them in a wholly new light.

“I just followed along with their plan, not knowing my life could be any different, until in college I met a lovely woman named Dojima Nariko.  I will let her tell you her own story, but to let you understand the impact she had on me, she came to school in direct opposition to her own parents and through her I learned to find my own interests and even ended up changing my major to business.  I was fascinated with the idea of traveling – I suppose deep down I always wanted to get away,” his father said with a self-deprecating laugh not unlike what Yu occasionally still heard from his husband.  “My parents disowned me after that – it is why you never had a chance to meet them while they were alive.  I do regret that sometimes…”  His father trailed off again and seemed to be deep in thought for a few moments.

Yu suddenly found he understood his father a bit more, and he couldn’t help but feel for him.  Although his parents had been distant when he got older due to their busy work lives, they at least had always supported him and always left him to make his own choices and follow his own interests.  In fact, he remembered feeling jealous of Yosuke, whose father especially often pushed him to work hard, wanting to instill a work ethic in his son that had so far appeared uninterested in academics.  Although Yosuke used to complain about it, Yu saw it as Mr. Hanamura taking interest in his son, and he had craved that kind of relationship with his own father.  “In college, a friend of mine brought me fishing one day, and I realized that I really enjoyed the lack of expectations and solitude it brought me.  I didn’t have to excel or be the best – just the act of being there, enjoying the peace and tranquility – was enough.  I wanted to share that with you after you were born, to connect with you in a way my father never had with me.  And later, when I started to grow busy, I knew what a good, smart boy you were and since you never complained, I thought you were handling everything on your own.  I know now that was a mistake.”  Yu’s father took in a shaky breath, and Yu was startled to realize his father, who he had never seen get emotional in his life, had tears in his eyes.

“I should have been more involved.  I missed out on so much of your life.  When we finally went to visit Ryotaro and Nanako in Inaba and I saw them together, I began to realize that.  Then, meeting Yosuke’s father and seeing how he treats both of you…I am a failure as a father.”  To Yu’s horror, his father pulled away from the table before lowering himself into a full, prostrating bow. 

“Father you don’t,” Yu started to protest, until his mother shook her head at him.  She also had tears in her eyes, and Yu realized that he did as well.  His father slowly sat back up before staring at him resolutely.  “I am sorry, my son.  I was wrong.  And going forward, I will work hard, to regain your trust and reconnect with you.  You’ve grown into such a wonderful young man,” he said, choking up in the process.  “You deserve more than what I have provided you.”

Yu wiped away at his eyes and willed his tears not to fall.  He took his own shaky breath before replying, “You provided me a lot growing up,” which caused his father to shake his head.

“Not in the way I should have,” he insisted.  Yu’s mother reaching out to squeeze her husband’s shoulder, and whispered something encouraging into his ear before placing a comforting kiss on his cheek and pulling away.  She then turned to face him with a somber expression on her face.

“I suppose it is my turn,” she stated solemnly, and Yu felt his chest tighten.  It had been hard enough hearing his father’s story, but while his father had talked about his parents offhand on several occasions, he was beginning to realize he had never heard his mother or his uncle speak about their parents.  He braced himself for what she was about to share.  “I guess I will start by asking if you remember how I always used to tell you how much I disliked Inaba?”

Yu nodded his head, remembering how apologetic she had been when she had sent him there to stay with his uncle.  “Well, there’s a reason why I hated being there so much,” she replied.  “Much as your father’s parents controlled his life…mine attempted to do the same.  Only instead of having high expectations for me or encouraging academics, they instead insisted I learn how to take care of a house.  I was taught to cook and how to properly clean, for I was to one day mother their grandchildren,” she said, a bitter edge to her voice.  “Ryotaro faced his own pressures as their only son, but he was allowed to handle it by rebelling outwardly.  I had to be more discreet.”

Yu suddenly remembered his uncle’s stories about his motorbike, and he remembered how surprised he had been to learn his uncle had a bit of a wild streak growing up.  Now he understood, both that and why he had been so horrible at cooking and chores.  If his mother had been expected to take care of the house, it was highly unlikely his uncle had been held to the same standard since his grandparents had apparently been very old fashioned in their views.  His mother collected herself before pressing forward with her story.  “I worked hard for my grades, even though my parents never cared, because I knew they would be my ticket out of Inaba.  I also sneaked in a part time job without their knowledge, pretending I was in the home ec club so they wouldn’t be suspicious.  I saved up money so once I graduated I would be able to move to the city and afford school on my own.”

Yu was impressed but unsurprised by his mother’s determination.  She had the same drive at work and it was the reason she had been so successful.  He also began to realize something about his own father, and how different he treated her from the environment his mother had grown up in.  His father had never placed that expectation on his mother that she would need to stay home and take care of him and the house, and instead always encouraged her in her own career.  He also finally knew why his mother was such a wonderful cook and could expertly run the house, even though her heart never seemed to be in it.  “I applied to universities in the city in secret and accepted the first offer I got.  It happened to be your father’s college,” she admitted.  “After meeting Yasu, I began to realize he was going through the same thing I was, only he didn’t seem to realize he had other paths available to him.  Unlike many other men in my life, he didn’t seem to have any expectations for me and was impressed by my goals.  I eventually encouraged him to form his own.”

Yu was enthralled by this story and realized he had never heard the story of how his parents had gotten together.  He had honestly never thought to ask.  “That’s wonderful,” Yu said, without even realizing it, and his mother flashed him a warm smile.

“I think so as well,” she replied.  “In fact, I think the only reason I allowed myself to marry your father was because of that attitude.”  She turned to give him a loving look, and Yu was amazed to see his father blush and look bashful for a change.  “However…” she continued, turning back to face Yu again.  “That selfishness of mine…it also caused me to fail you.”  She let out a troubled sigh.  “When I was planning your birthday with my wonderful son in law, I began to realize how little I knew my own son.  I had always given you autonomy to make your own decisions, to do the things you wanted.  I never wanted to stifle you as my parents had me.  When you wanted to learn to cook and do the chores I was delighted to see a boy show interest in what was typically a woman’s job and encouraged it.”  She looked at him apologetically.  “In my decision to not be like my parents, I skewed too far in the opposite direction and instead wasn’t in your life as much as I should.  I ended up just as bad as they were.  I am not sure how Ryotaro managed to avoid the same mistake; I admit seeing him with Nanako made me realize the kind of relationship I could have had with you.  But at that point I didn’t know how we could get there, or if I even deserved it.”

Yu felt his heart ache for his parents, and realize that they had just been as lost as he had felt.  Although his chest ached, he didn’t move this time when it was his mother’s turn to bow before him.  She looked so small prostrated on the floor in front of him, and Yu began to sniffle as she asked, “Please forgive me, my dear son.  I promise, going forward I will do better.”  She looked like she wanted to say more, but her voice was so thick with tears that she was unable to say anything.  Instead, she sat up and took a moment to work on steadying her breathing, which for a few moments consisted of gasps for breath while her husband rubbed her back.

Yu itched to come around the table to join them, but it was like an invisible barrier stood between them, letting him know it wasn’t time yet.  Once his mother was able to collect herself again, she looked at him steadily.  “I am so glad that you have managed to find someone who adores you and puts you first.  And whose parents seemed to have adopted you into their family and have loved you in the way you deserve.  I told Yosuke how much it meant to me that he obviously cares for you so much.  You are very fortunate to have him.” 

Upon those words, Yu finally caved.  Tears rolling down his cheeks, he crawled over to his parents’ side of the table, before putting one arm around each of them.  “I know,” he said.  “And it means so much to me that you both know as well.”  His parents both wrapped their arms around him, and for a moment Yu remembered what it had felt like to be held by them as a child.  “I forgive you.  I understand.  It hurt,” he admitted.  “But now, I understand.  And that means a lot.”

His parents both gripped him tighter, and Yu realized how vulnerable they were.  It was again a first for him, and he felt his heart ache for his parents and all they had gone through.  Yu pulled away, wiping at his eyes although at this point it didn’t do much, before admitting, “I also could have tried harder to reach out to you, to let you know how I was feeling  I was too afraid though, that I would somehow be letting you down.”

“Yu,” his mother lightly admonished, “We’ve never been anything but proud of you.  You could never let us down.”

His father reached out and placed his hand on his shoulder.  “From now on, always let us know how you’re feeling,” he said, and Yu was suddenly reminded of Yosuke telling him something very similar all those years ago.

“I will,” he promised, and it elicited a smile from all three of them.  For the rest of dinner, they ended up sitting just like that, Yu between his parents all on the same side of the table as the waitress brought out the rest of the dishes in a much faster period of time.  They talked about some of the happy memories from his childhood, Yu cooking with his mom and the first time his father took him fishing. 

That conversation prompted his father to suggest, “Maybe we should take Yosuke fishing sometime,” and he looked so excited at the idea of connecting with his son in law that Yu didn’t have the heart to tell him how boring his husband found the sport.

“I think that’s a great idea,” he said, giving his father a warm smile while inwardly chuckling at the look of horror he knew would cross his husband’s face when he gave him the suggestion.  He also knew Yosuke would definitely agree to it no matter how bored out of his mind he would be.

“I think we should also plan a family vacation,” his mother recommended.  “It would be nice to get to know Yosuke’s parents and to spend some time with Ryotaro and Nanako.  I would really love to get to know Hinata-san,” she added.  Hinata was Yosuke’s mother, and Yu couldn’t help but smile widely at her recommendation.

“She’s told us many times how much she’d like to get to know you,” he agreed.  “She thought you looked so stylish at the wedding and housewarming party.”  His mom blushed at the compliment and looked flattered at the praise. 

“Well she just seems lovely and I really want to get to know her,” she admitted.

“I suppose Kosuke-san and I could catch an episode of _Segodon_ ,” Yu’s father said wistfully.

Yu was really glad to hear him say that, for it meant his father was moving past those jealous feelings from earlier.  “Not without me,” he joked.  “Unfortunately, you won’t be able to get your son in law involved.  I believe last time I had the drama on he told me he wasn’t very excited about the life of Saigo Takamori,” Yu laughed. 

“He will have to teach me more about music then, I suppose,” his father replied, and it honestly meant a lot to Yu that his father seemed to really want to connect with his husband so much.  They ended up staying much longer than he expected, talking and catching up in a way he could never remember doing so before, until it was finally time to part ways.  Yu headed to the train station with a light heart, excited to let his husband know how things had gone that night, while also planning on giving him a taste on how much his support had meant to him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yu returns home from dinner to a very worried partner.

Yu had been gone for over four hours and Yosuke was starting to get worried.  He was torn between messaging his husband and being afraid that he would be interrupting his time with his parents.  He had to hope that their dinner was going well and that Yu wasn’t just avoiding coming home to refrain from showing him how disappointed he was.  Deep down, Yosuke knew his husband knew better than to do that, but he couldn’t help his worry.  Since Yu had left, Yosuke had alternated between rushing around the house, trying to find chores to do to keep his mind preoccupied, and giving up halfway through to pace around the house or sit on the couch while shaking his leg uncontrollably. 

He was pretty sure Hana was convinced he had lost his mind and for the most part she had stayed out of his way, opting to hide in the bedroom while he paced around like a madman; however, in his most recent bout of sitting on the couch she had finally crept out and made her way to the couch, climbing on his lap and purring while he tried to calm his nerves by petting her.  Their bonding moment was finally interrupted by the sound of keys jiggling at the door, and Hana had enough sense to hop off Yosuke’s lap before he stood up and made his way over, ready to greet his husband and finally find out whether or not this dinner had been a good idea.  Yosuke, however, would not get his chance.

Instead, the moment the door flung open, Yosuke was pulled toward the open door and pressed against it before his husband greeted him with a very unexpected but well received open mouthed kiss.  Yosuke’s whole body flushed in surprise, for while his husband was always very straightforward with him about his feelings, he wasn’t prone to sudden displays of affection like this.  Yosuke’s mind was reeling over the unexpected greeting, and for a moment he allowed himself to be entranced by Yu’s searing mouth as it pressed hungrily against his own before making its way to a particularly sensitive spot on Yosuke’s neck where his headphones used to rest back in high school, causing Yosuke to gasp in surprise when Yu’s lips began to press tender kisses there.  Meanwhile Yu’s fingers trailed down Yosuke’s back, tracing along his lean muscle and causing a shiver to run up his spine as his eyes slid closed at the sensation. 

However, as soon his brain caught up with him, he pulled away from Yu, gasping for breath as he remembered there was something more important than the very heated greeting by his partner.  Yu’s eyes were glazed as he stared back, panting slightly as a satisfied smile formed on his face at his husband’s disheveled appearance.  He pulled Yosuke inside and closed the door behind him, ignoring for a moment Hana as she weaved between their legs in greeting so he could instead gaze at his husband, letting him know through his expression and the soft press of his arm around his waist how much he appreciated him.  “I take it dinner went well?” Yosuke finally asked, and Yu nodded before nuzzling his head against the crook of Yosuke’s neck.  Yosuke wrapped his arms around his husband and pulled him closer.  “Tell me everything,” he murmured, running his hand soothingly up and down Yu’s back.

Yu could tell by how sweaty Yosuke was that he indeed had been pacing all over the house since he left, and he couldn’t help but fondly chuckle to himself, especially when Yosuke tilted his head in confusion.  “Let’s move to the couch,” he said, appreciating how Yosuke carefully guided them while clasped together until he toppled them over on the couch, Yu sprawled across Yosuke while still wrapped in his warm embrace.  He let the remaining tension from the evening release as he pressed his ear against his husband’s chest and listened to his steady heartbeat.  He recounted the evening to Yosuke, surprising himself by staying calm and steady as he spoke, his earlier emotional state completely overrun by his parent’s love.  As he spoke, Yosuke kept one arm firmly around his waist while he used the other to gently thread his fingers through Yu’s hair, alternating between mussing his silky locks and adjusting them back into place.  Once Yu was finished with his story, he felt Yosuke let out a deep breath, almost as if hearing the recount of the events at dinner had relieved him of his own tension.

“I am so happy for you,” Yosuke said, and Yu couldn’t help but look up due to how emotional his voice sounded.  Yu saw tears in his husband’s eyes and sat up so he was know leaning over him.  He brushed Yosuke’s bangs out of his face before staring tenderly at him.

“This is all thanks to you,” he reminded him, and Yosuke shook his head.

“I may have nudged you a little, but you’re the one who actually went through with it,” he reminded him.  Yu reached down to take Yosuke’s right hand, tracing over his fingers and the lines on his palm while he fixed his partner with a steady gaze.

“You did more than that,” he reminded him.  “You brought us together again and gave me the encouragement I needed to face those feelings I had repressed for so long.”  He reached down and pressed a kiss against Yosuke’s forehead before adding, “It was like facing my own shadow.  And I couldn’t have done it without you.”

Yosuke smiled at him, and Yu felt himself melting in the look of adoration held in his husband’s eyes.  He felt bashful and decided to avoid the feeling in the way he knew best.  “My father wants us to go fishing together,” he deadpanned, watching in amusement the look of horror that crossed his husband’s face at the idea.  Yosuke knew him too well and could obviously read the glee in his eyes over relaying the news, and he groaned before dramatically flailing his arm over his forehead.

“Seriously?” he asked, while Yu solemnly nodded his head. 

“Don’t worry, I saved you from his Taiga drama plans,” he added, unable to hide the amusement in his tone as Yosuke shook his head. 

“Thanks,” he said dryly.  “I appreciate your consideration.”  Yu couldn’t help but chuckle as Yosuke sat up and untangled both of them until they sat side by side.

“You’re not adverse to spending time with my father, are you?” Yu asked, and Yosuke let out a sigh.

“You know I’m not.  Just…why fishing?” he asked, making a face.  He then took a deep breath.  “You know I’ll go though,” he said, releasing it while looking away in embarrassment.

“I know,” Yu replied, a fond smile on his face.  “He also wants you to tell him more about music.”  Yosuke perked up at that, and Yu felt warmth flood his chest at how excited his husband looked.

“Anything else you guys planned during dinner?” Yosuke joked, before looking surprised as Yu honestly nodded his head.  “Wow, this was a busy meal…”

“My mom wants us to go on a family trip.  They really want to get to know your parents better and spend time with my uncle and Nanako,” Yu replied, and a slow smile spread across Yosuke’s face.

“I think that’s a great idea,” he agreed, before reaching forward and tugging Yu closer so he could return the kiss from earlier.  When he pulled away, he looked at Yu seriously and said, “I don’t think you can know just how happy I am that everything worked out for you.  You deserve so much in this world, and I’m just so glad that you’re finally getting the thing you’ve wanted most.”

Yu blushed at Yosuke’s sincere words and felt his heart skip a beat, before wondering not for the first time how he was so lucky to meet someone as wonderful as Hanamura Yosuke.  He reached over, placing his hands over Yosuke’s before closing around them and standing up, tugging at his hands to pull Yosuke up next to him.  Yosuke looked confused until Yu leaned forward and murmured in his ear, “You mean the thing I wanted second most,” before giving him a heated look and turning to pull Yosuke toward their bedroom.

“Partner?” Yosuke gasped, his voice cracking adorably, suddenly reminding Yu of their teenaged years.

Yu merely grinned before pulling Yosuke into their room, pushing him onto their bed before closing the door behind him, fully intending to let his partner know how much he appreciated and adored him.  For the first time in his life, Yu was able to feel like his life was fulfilled, and he was going to spend the rest of it making sure the man sprawled across their bed to felt the same way.


End file.
